Havant community rallies around aid charity as donated warehouse stacked full of supplies for Ukrainian refugees

A warehouse belonging to the non-profit organisation Stella’s Voice has been filled to the brim with food, blankets, toiletries and other essential supplies.

Pleas from volunteers were answered for more storage space after the ‘fantastic’ response from residents.

Developer Kingsbridge Estates supplied the charity with 5,600 sq ft unit so the huge haul of donations can be catalogued, before being transported to those who need it.

Wayne Keeping, operations director at Stella’s Voice, said: ‘We have been overwhelmed with support to the point where we simply ran out of space.

‘We are extremely grateful for the huge response from members of the public, and Havant Borough Council and Kingsbridge Estates for giving us the space we need to collect donations and to get them ready for transport.

The donation point in the Meridian Centre, offered by Havant Borough Council, soon became overrun with donations.

Stella’s Voice volunteers did not have enough room to itemise each box, put them on pallets, and catalogue them.

These logistical steps are compulsory for continental travel.

Kingsbridge Estates answered the call for help, providing a warehouse at Spring Business Park, in New Lane, Havant.

All the supplies will be loaded onto an articulated lorry en-route to Moldova.

The Stella’s Voice team intend to set off within the next two weeks, and are still accepting donations for dried and tinned foods, toiletries, new underwear for ladies and children, sanitary products and baby products. at the Meridian Centre.

After supporting the charity, Chris Fry, chief executive of Kingsbridge Estates, said: ‘It was great to see the speed and scale of the response from the local community to the appeal by Stella’s Voice.

‘We wanted to help in some way and I’m pleased that we have been able to contribute to this effort to get a huge number of donations sorted, packaged and ready to be sent to the people who so badly need them.’

Stella’s Voice was set up in the country following the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

Volunteers work with orphan girls who are at risk of being sold into sex trafficking once they become too old to stay in state-run orphanages.

Several homes are run under the name Stella’s House, commemorated in memory of a young woman who lost her life to AIDS after being a victim of sex traffickers.

The homes protect the young women from human slavery while helping them complete their education and learn life skills.

Some locations are now being used to house Ukrainian refugees.

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Mr Keeping added: ‘We have been working in Moldova for more than 25 years but when Russia invaded Ukraine, we adapted overnight.

‘We are opening our homes up to Ukrainian refugees who are coming through Moldova – some who are stopping off on their way to Romania, and others who are hopeful that they may be able to return to their home country.

‘This lorry-load of donations will be a lifeline for them.’

You can make a financial donation to Stella’s Voice via their website here.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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